I was very excited about going to Hawk and Hunter in Ripponlea, the new eatery brought to us by the folks behind Tommy Collins catering in Brighton. I attended the opening night and it was a huge HIT. Very crowded, free flowing wine, lovely morsels of food when you could get some and more tweed caps and beards than at a North Yorkshire Sheep Trials event.

We returned on Saturday to get stuck into the menu (which wasn’t being trialed on the opening night) and the place was packed! On this fairly quiet strip of street right in the heels of Ripponlea station, there was a definite buzz around the front door. We were told that we would have to wait five minutes for a seat and maybe a twenty minute wait for food – first day and all that – not a problem. We were seated fairly quickly, well within the five minute timeframe, but had to fight off a feisty woman who was demanding a table. Hang in there, guys.

I ordered a skinny latte ($3.50) and my partner had a water. I can’t comment on the water (other than it was served in what looked to be a Hendricks bottle with the prettiest blue drinking glasses – TICK) the coffee was to Melbourne standard from a very sexy blue coffee machine.

As we sat and waited, we saw the next table’s food come out – breakfast. A towering mound of scrambled eggs, bacon, chilli and basil with garlic toast and salsa verde ($17.50) – it looked incredible and just quietly, I was wishing I had a hangover. When our food arrived though, we both sat there and sort of stared at each other. I had been raving for a few days at how excited I was about the Argentinian beef sandwich with chimichurri and shoestring fries; a sandwich filled with a thinnish piece of steak, a smear of chimichurri on some grainy bread arrived. It was very tasty; the perfect amount of tang in the sauce, the steak tender and the grainy bread fresh – as in house made fresh – but for $19.00, I was regretting not having the all day breakfast.

My partner had the English style pork sausage with confit garlic mash, caramelized onion and a beef jus ($19.00). And that exactly what he got. Three small – although amazingly soft and bursting with flavour – pork snags, a scooping of mash and swizzle of jus and onion. “Gorgeous. Now what’s for main course?” He said. Some side dishes on the menu would be a great addition to go with the main meals on offer.

I purchased some items from the beautiful stock on offer – salty wafer thin croutes, perfectly smoked beetroot trout ($8.00) and a large jar of very creamy and subtle aioli ($6.00). I was dragged away from the fridge as I gathered up enormous meringues and house made roast chicken stock in my arms; those will have to wait. I couldn’t believe my eyes and in stark contrast to the main courses, these items seem to be chronically under priced.

As a breakfast choice, Hawk and Hunter seem to hit the drum right in the centre, and with a no bookings policy, you would do well to get there as early as you can. Hopefully by the time you are reading this they will have sorted out their web presence but until then you can contact them at Tommy Collins catering on 9607 8558.

HAWK AND HUNTER
Glen Eira Avenue, Ripponlea
Open every day 6.30am – 5.00pm